Georgia is
a good state for rockhounding. Non-rockhounders
often are surprised to know that America’s first major gold rush did not occur
in California … or Alaska … or Montana … rather, it occurred in Georgia. That state is well known for its granite
deposits. The state has a variety of
fossils and minerals. In addition, at
least two dozen meteorites have been found in the state.

State
Rocks, Gemstones, Minerals, Fossils, & Dinosaurs

Rockhounding Tip: Knowing state rocks, gemstones, minerals,
fossils, and dinosaurs often can be very useful information for
rockhounders. Ordinarily, states with
significant mineral deposits, valuable gemstones, fossils, or unusual or
significant rock occurrences will designate an official state mineral,
rock/stone, gemstone, fossil, or dinosaur to promote interest in the state’s
natural resources, history, tourism, etc.
Accordingly, such state symbols often are a valuable clue as to
potential worthwhile rockhounding opportunities.

Quartz (Amethyst)

State Gemstone: Quartz (1976)Georgia designated
quartz as its official state gem in 1976. Quartz is common in Georgia and found in a
wide variety of colors. The resolution
making quartz the state gem cited two particular forms: the amethyst, which is
mostly used in jewelry, and the clear quartz, which, when faceted, resembles
the diamond.

Staurolite

State Mineral: Staurolite (1976) Georgia designated staurolite as its official
state mineral in 1976. Staurolite is a common metamorphic mineral that is
useful to geologists to determine the degree of metamorphism. Staurolite is famous for its twinned crystals
that form into the shape of a cross. The
twin is a classic penetration twin where it appears as if two crystals grew
into and out of each other. It actually
forms two twin types; one that is nearly 90 degrees and one that is nearly 60
degrees. The 60 degree type is more
common but the 90 degree type is the most sought after. The name
staurolite comes from the Greek word stauros, which refers to the common
cruciform twinning of staurolite crystals called ‘fairy crosses’ or 'fairy
stones.' The crystals are particularly
abundant in north Georgia and have been collected for generations as good luck
charms.

Shark Tooth Fossil

State Fossil: Shark Tooth (1976)Georgia designated the shark tooth as
its official state fossil in 1976. The
shark tooth is a relatively common fossil in the Georgia coastal plain. Sharks
have skeletons composed of cartilage rather than bone, so usually the only
fossilized remains they leave are their teeth. These teeth are produced and continually shed
in a conveyor-belt fashion, and an individual shark may produce 10,000 teeth
during its lifetime. Many types of sharks lived in prehistoric Georgia, ranging
from small Cretaceous forms to large, fierce Miocene species. Sharks as a group appeared during the
Ordovician, but the earliest teeth found in Georgia date from the Late
Cretaceous, about 65 million years ago. Fossilized shark teeth are found
in a range of colors from the more common blacks and grays to whites, browns,
blues, and reddish browns.

Rockhounding
Resources

State-specific rockhounding books (including the books listed here as well as other books), regional rockhounding site guides, and other helpful rockhounding resources are identified - by category - in the Books & Gear section of Gator Girl Rocks with a link to the Gator Girl Rocks Amazon Store where you may easily browse selected resources and securely place an order. Your order will benefit Charity Rocks!

Tellus Science
MuseumCartersville,
GeorgiaThe Museum features a Fossil Gallery and
the Weinman Mineral Gallery. This may be
the finest mineral museum in the southeastern U.S.

Georgia Museum of
Natural HistoryUniversity of Georgia - Athens, GeorgiaThe Museum's Geology Collections
include the Allard Collection for Economic Geology, the Mineralogy Collection
and the Paleontology Collection. The
Allard Collection for Economic Geology represents a lifetime of collecting by
Dr. Gilles Allard in ore deposits and mines on every continent, and contains
over 20,000 specimens. The collection is
online and can be searched by mineralogy, mining district, deposit type, or
mine locality. The Mineralogy Collection
is comprised of over 1,500 specimens from around the world. The
Paleontology Collection consists of over 12,000 fossils and casts, including
trace fossils from the Robert W. Frey Collection, modern mollusks from
southeastern marine systems, and Paleozoic fossils from southeastern
localities.

Dahlonega
Courthouse Gold MuseumDahlonega, GeorgiaThis museum highlights America's first
major gold rush - twenty years before the California gold rush - the 1829 gold
rush in northern Georgia. In addition,
it tells the story of the Dahlonega Mint.
Accordingly, the museum has collections of native Georgian gold and
Dahlonega Mint coins, mining equipment, and photographs.

Fernbank Museum of Natural HistoryAtlanta, GeorgiaThe museum’s exhibits include the ‘Giants of
the Mesozoic,’ which includes a 123-foot long Argentinosaurus (the largest classified dinosaur) as well as a Giganotosaurus. The museum’s ‘A Walk Through Time In Georgia’
exhibit tells the two-fold story of Georgia's
natural history and the development of the planet. In addition, the museum’s floors are made of 40,000
limestone tiles, each containing fossil remains of animals that lived in a
shallow reef more than 150 million years ago.

Fernbank Science CenterAtlanta, GeorgiaThe science center’s Exhibit Hall includes a
meteorite collection as well as a collection of several Georgia tektites ("Georgiaites"). The center also exhibits rocks and minerals.

Georgia Southern University MuseumGeorgia Southern University – Statesboro, GeorgiaThe museum exhibits local rocks, minerals, and
fossils. In addition to a variety of Pliocene
fossils from southeastern Georgia, the museum’s ‘Hall of Natural History’
exhibits the 78 million year old Mosasaur and 40 million year old Vogtle whale.

Elberton Granite MuseumElberton, GeorgiaElberton Georgia is the self-designated
‘Granite Capital of the World.’
Northeast Georgia does have numerous quarries and manufacturing plants. The museum includes historical artifacts and
educational displays.

Places
to Visit - Interesting Sites To See

Stone Mountain

Stone MountainStone Mountain,
GeorgiaStone Mountain is a quartz monzonite
dome. The carving features three figures
of the confederacy: Stonewall Jackson,
Robert E. Less, & Jefferson Davis. Contrary
to conventional wisdom, it is not the largest piece of exposed granite in the
world.

Rockhounding
Sites for Children & Families

Gold, Rocks, Minerals, &
FossilsChattahoochee & Oconee National ForestsIn 2009,
there was a good deal of chatter among rockhounding clubs and newsletters
regarding an enforcement action involving a staurolite collector. Nonetheless, subject to federal restrictions
and forest district limitations, recreational rockhounders are allowed to pan
for gold, collect fossils, and collect rocks, minerals, and gemstones. As always, recreational rockhounding is NOT
mining and it is NOT a commercial activity.

Georgia TektitesCentral Eastern GeorgiaTektites are
unusual. The generally accepted theory is that tektites are created as a result of
high-energy meteoroid impacts that melt the surrounding earth to form a high
silica glassy specimen. Tektites have
been found in at least twenty-four Georgia counties. Georgia tektites, or "Georgiaites,"
are part of the North American strewn field and are approximately 35 million
years old. These small specimens
generally are translucent and olive-green in color.

Graves Mountain

MineralsGraves Mountain – Lincoln County,
GeorgiaCommercial
(fee access) business. This site is well-known for its kyanite and other minerals.